Vargas ends Impact’s 5-game drought in 1-0 win over Dynamo

MONTREAL (AP) — Jeisson Vargas scored Montreal’s first goal in five games, leading the Impact to a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night.

Vargas, with his fourth of the year, ended the Impact’s 425-minute scoreless drought with a beautiful curled shot in the 44th minute to snap Montreal’s (4-10-0) four-game skid.

It was only the second time this year that Houston, the league’s second-best offence, had been shut out.

The Dynamo (5-5-3), coming off a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, rested some tired legs to start the game.

Scoring threats Romell Quioto and Mauro Manotas began on the bench. Quioto came in in the 58th minute and Manotas in the 63rd, but neither could salvage a point for the visitors.

Vargas’ goal was worthy of breaking the franchise’s longest stretch without a goal in Major League Soccer.

Jumping on a weak clearance by DaMarcus Beasley, midfielder Samuel Piette found Vargas in tight coverage at the edge of the penalty box. With four orange jerseys converging on him quickly, Vargas took one touch before curling a right-footed strike in the top corner of the net.

It was Montreal’s first goal since Ignacio Piatti’s 68th-minute strike on May 5 against New England.

The Dynamo fell to 0-6-0 all-time in Montreal while getting outscored 16-2 in the losses.